


The Time That Is Given To Us

by Mama_Bear



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Elf!Harry, Elves just want to help, Elves try to help, Harry dies and goes to Middle Earth, Harry is a Little Shit, Harry is an old soul in a five year olds body, Master of Death Harry Potter, Multiple Suicide Attempts, Post-Lord of the Rings, Powerful Harry, Suicidal Harry, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-05-20 13:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14895402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mama_Bear/pseuds/Mama_Bear
Summary: Elfling!Harry story told a little differently. Non-tortured Harry but smart, resourceful and budding MoD. Not slash and no romance except for canon material. Don't own anything.Warning/s: General depression and/or suicidal thoughts with contemplation/attempts of suicide.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posted in FF as TheMamaBear.

Harry had done it.

He fulfilled prophecy and defeated Voldemort and his Deatheaters and became, for the second time, the savior of the wizarding world. He, along with his two faithful friends, Hermione and Ron and his sweet heart, Ginny, helped rebuild the torn community and gave hope to all. The Muggle community was pleasantly surprised with the booming industry and economic growth that it suddenly experienced. Little did they know that it was from the exponential growth from the now flourishing wizarding world. More babies were being born which lead to increase in sales and so on so forth. The stock market never looked so good nor since.

Ron and Hermione eloped, much to Molly Weasley's frustration, and went to Australia where they soon found Hermione's parents.

Harry went on to marry Ginny and the wedding was held privately on a certain beach near an old headstone. Only surrounded by close family and friends they exchanged their vows. The reception, on the other hand, was a huge gathering of well wishers, friends (new and old), and a ghost or two and was plastered onto the front page of Daily Prophet as the most wonderful event of the decade. Many who attended told their children and grandchildren of that day as being the most magical, most beautiful and most joyful day. Never was there a more beautiful couple.

Harry, due to the power of his invisibility cloak, lived to see his children grow up and have children of their own who, in turn, had children of their own. He grew old with Ginny and when she had died, old yet more beautiful in his eyes than ever, he wept for days. His grandchildren performed the most beautiful eulogy at her funeral and there wasn't a dry eye in the whole congregation in the end.

When Harry came home from his great, great, great, grandchild's Hogwarts graduation, he knew it was time. He made his rounds, going from grave site to grave site not saying farewell, but a promise of seeing them again soon. His family begged him not to go but after a while they understood that he was weary and longed to be with his love again. Harry, with a sad smile, gave his invisibility cloak to his eldest. And so, surrounded by his family that had grown considerably in size, he hugged them all one last time, laid down in his bed, and closed his eyes.

And then Harry, a loving husband, a beloved father, and a doting grandfather greeted Death with a smile, as if an old friend, and went with him gladly.

oooOOOooo

Harry lay still as he drifted. Drifted and drifted until he felt the ground turn solid underneath him. Quirking an eyebrow, he turned his head only to get jabbed in the eye with something spiky and definitely NOT part of his normal bedding.

"Bloody hell." He cried out as he held his palm to his sore eye and flicked the offending object away from himself.

_Primrose must have left her toys on the bed-_

_Wait a second_.

The pain in his eye forgotten, Harry jerk up and looked around himself. He was laying in grass. Mossy grass. Spongy mossy grass that leaves one with a nice wet patch if you have the misfortune of laying on. Which he had been.

"What the-" Harry let out a stream of curse words that would had made Ginny wash his mouth out with some of her strongest cleaning solution.

Panting a little from shock and from yelling out so loudly and long, he gathered himself and took stock of his current situation. He was standing at the base of an enormous mossy tree and wearing some sort of green linen outfit. Whoever had put him in it made sure to make it comfortable yet stylish. Well, as comfortable as it could be considering his whole back and bum was wet from laying on the wet moss.

_WHO put me in this outfit? WHERE am I? And where did Death go?_

Harry closed his eyes, wracked his brain and tried to remember what had taken place. He had laid down and had opened his eyes to greet Death, scythe, cowl and all, and then had exchange some British pleasantries and then...nothing.

With a huge aggravated UGH towards the sky, Harry opened his eyes to study his surroundings. A few meters over he could see and hear a small stream trickling down around the bend.

_Water. Streams lead to rivers which, in turn, lead to bigger bodies of water where people live._

"Ignore the bird. Follow the river." Harry quoted sarcastically in a tremulous voice as he trudged over to the stream. He suddenly realized that the ground was way closer than he was used to..and his body didn't groan and creak like it had been for the past few decades.

This time Harry was speechless as he stared down at his small, unwrinkled and perfect hands. Seriously, even his cuticles were in perfect condition. His eyes traveled up towards his arms and he gawked. In all his years of being around magic and their capabilities, he'd never seen anything like it. Come to think of it, they look too pretty. Like girl hands. Upon further inspection of his anatomy, he breathed a sigh of relief as he confirmed that he was still, in fact, male. He then rushed over to the steam and stared down at his reflection. Young. He was young again. He had a full head of hair again!

 _I have my hair back!_ Harry thought with joy as he ran his perfect and slightly feminine fingers through his black locks. Suspiciously luxurious locks. Beautiful raven locks of hair that some of his great granddaughters would have killed for. He stared down into his reflection and noticed something else that was different. His ears. He lifted his soft hair away from his ears. His ears had little points on the ends.

_What the hell? I'm a goblin?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry yells a lot then goes swimming then—What the— Beautiful Veela Goblins?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Danger, Will Robinson! Trigger warning ahead! 
> 
> *pssst* Just assume that there are going to be trigger warnings In the future.

Harry stared at his reflection some more in disbelief. He winced a little as he pulled on the tips of his ears.

“A bloody goblin.” Harry peeled his eyes away from his reflection and lifted his face upwards toward the sky.

“DEATH!” He roared and looked around, expecting Death to show up. He did not. “DEATH! Get back here! Show yourself this INSTANT,” he pointed down at the ground, “or so help me I will-.” Breathing heavily through his nose to calm down, Harry paced along the stream and flicked the wet sand angrily out from between his toes.

A few moments passed before he slowed and scrubbed his eyes with his palms. “I’m supposed to be with Ginny. I’m supposed to be with Ron and Hermione. And with Sirius! And with MUM AND DAD! I’M SUPPOSED TO BE WITH EVERYONE! NOT HERE! NOT WHEREVER THIS PLACE IS!” Harry’s voice grew with each name until he was yelling with everything in him and throwing stones towards the stream. He started looking for larger rocks, digging them out of the sand and lobbing them bodily.

“DEATH!” He screamed out in rage, grinding his teeth together and flopped down, exhausted onto his wet bum. He lay there tired and brooding in gloomy silence inspecting his cracked and bloody fingernails until he realized he had ants crawling on his legs. Grimacing he stood up and brushed his legs off and looked down the steam.

 _Really_ looked. It was all just so...beautiful.

 _Ginny would have loved it here._ Harry swallowed a sudden lump in his throat and smiled sadly, imagining a time long ago where they had had a family picnic in a spot not so different from this place.

oooOOOooo

After inspecting himself further in the rippling reflection, Harry made his way down the stream deep in thought.

Somehow he had woken up looking like one of his great, great grandsons who also happened to be about 5 years old, the age that Harry looked now, except quite a bit more..doll like. It was still definitely _him_ but just..prettier. His ears were pointed and his hair was so glossy. It hadn’t been this glossy since he accidentally used his daughters magical shampoo..not as flowery smelling, thank goodness. He had been teased about that for months at work.

After what felt like a long time of walking, he came up to a section of the stream that had gotten larger and deeper. Harry stared into it, slightly manic grin growing on his face as he realized something.

_Death HAS to come.. If I died.. Here. Right now. Death will have no choice but to show up!_

Harry breathed in deeply and slowly waded towards the middle of the stream. The clear water was freezing and only came up to his mid thigh. _People have drowned in less water than this, right? It’ll be fine. Harry nodded his head. Yeah. Just a little discomfort and I’ll be with Ginny. With my family_.

Inhaling and much he could, he exhaled and repeated the action a few time. Harry then closed his eyes, exhaled one last time and plunged into the river. Then he _inhaled_.

His first reaction was to get out of the water and _BREATHE_ , to cough out whatever was invading his lungs. It was _painful_. Every cell, every molecule in his body was _sceaming_ at him to get out of the water. He couldn’t help thrashing a little as he breathed in more water. The only thing that stopped him was all the beautiful faces and memories that flashed before his eyes. Ginny, carefully holding their newborn child as it squalled, hungry for food. Ginny, bustling about the Burrow, laughing at his jokes. Ginny, smiling and teaching their granddaughters how to knit. His mother smiling as his dad danced and twirled her. Ron and Hermione as they laughed and drank wine to toast to their new house. Countless other loved faces and fond memories passed before his eyes.

_Of all the ways to die..I really didn’t expect go by drowning in such a small amount of water._

Before Harry had realized something had happened he was bodily lifted out of the water and sent sprawling out onto the sand, coughing and throwing up all the water he had in his lungs. He barely registered a person thumping his back and saying something. A small part of his brain was simultaneously glad that he had failed, horrified that he had even tried and angry that he was stopped.

“Why.” Harry said bitterly his voice ragged, coughing as he looked up. “Why did you stop me?”

The mans eyes widened in shock as he inhaled sharply. Harry, after expelling whatever was left in him, tiredly sat down and looked at the man. _Really_ looked. The man was eerily beautiful. _Could he be part Veela?_ Harry thought wearily as be pushed his wet, dripping hair back from his face. _He definitely has the bone structure. And those eyebrows..carefully plucked and arched. Gay._

Harry took in the mans outfit and then did a double take at the mans ears. They were pointed. Just like his were. _I guess we’re the same race then.. beautiful Veela goblins._

The man seemed to be made of stone, the surprise and shock making him unable to move. The whole way he sat there and stared, unblinking, at Harry was really starting to creep him out. During the whole interaction his facial features had gone from concern to bewilderment then on to confusion and then finally shock.

 _I guess I deserve it.._ Harry thought tiredly, rubbing his face. _He DID think I was trying to drown myself. Which I was.._

“You,” The male model finally stuttered out in disbelief, blinking rapidly, “You’re an Elfling!”

Harry blinked at him in confusion. “I’m a what?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how you liked it because I am a sad little person that needs validation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of running.

Thalon steadied his breathing and _listened_ to the trees around him. Everything was at peace. The trees were growing and new vegetation was springing up with renewed strength since the destruction of the enemy.   
It had been two years since the Fourth Age had begun. Sauron has been defeated once and for all but there were still straggling bands of orcs roaming the hills and plains of Middle Earth. Thalon had been scouting the borders of his home, Imladris, for such creatures.

Thalon gracefully stepped over a large root as his ears picked up a slight noise. He turned, tense, notching his bow smoothly, ready for anything, but then soon relaxed as he saw it was just a doe with its newborn. “Do not be afraid.” He said softly lowering his bow, “I will not harm you.” The doe stood still and stared at him as her young stood next to her, hiding by her side. After a moment the doe flicked her ears, relaxed and continued grazing as the young fawn cautiously walked over to the ellon. Careful not to scare the fawn, Thalon slowly knelt and let it inspect him. He reached out his hand and the fawn came closer-

Thalon gasped as the trees _screamed_ in terror. The doe and fawn leaped up and ran into the underbrush, crashing away in fear as the trees swayed in panic, horror and alarm. On full alert, Thalon leap up and looked around, his senses were being buffeted by the fear coursing through the forest. Never in his long life had he felt or experienced the forest behaving in such way. Not even when orcs had entered and set fire to its trees in an attempt to burn the forest down. It filled him with dread. The trees were beckoning -no, _begging_ him- to go to something. He ran, faster than he had ever run, leaping gracefully over roots and fallen branches, letting the trees direct him until he reached a small stream.

Scanning the area, he immediately saw a small figure thrashing in the shallow stream. With his heart in his throat, he lunged forward, threw aside his bow, grasped the figure with both hands and threw it clear out of the water. He trembled with adrenaline and anxiety for the small child, as it coughed and retched out all the water it had in it’s small body. He quickly knelt down and, in his fright, thumped down a bit too hard on the child’s back. “Are you alright?” He said anxiously in common tongue.

The child coughed some more before his green eyes flashed up at him in anger. “Why?” The child said in perfect Sindarin. “Why did you stop me?”

Thalon’s jaw loosened and both his heart and jaw fell. _Why did you stop me?_ How could a child say such a thing? What could have caused him to do something as foolish, as terrible as to put himself in the stream?   
And he spoke Sindarin. The child spoke in perfect Sindarin with no hint of an accent. How did a child speak it so well? Where would he have learnt it? The only human that he knew who spoke their fair language was Estel. Where was this child’s parents?

The questions died on his lips as the child pushed back his hair from his face. The child..was an elfling. His knees felt as weak as the new born fawn he had seen what felt like ages ago. His mind couldn’t stop spinning. For an elfling to be right in front of him was nothing short of improbable.   
The last elfling to be born was over 2700 years ago. And she was now married to Estel, or rather Aragorn the King of Gondor. All the Elves had collectively decided not to reproduce anymore since the time of the Elves was now past and fading. Many of the Eldar were heading to the Undying Lands beyond the sea to be with their loved ones who were waiting for them to arrive. For a elf to be born now was unheard of, irresponsible, and absurd. For an elfling to throw himself into a stream, knowing exactly what he was doing, was heart breaking.

Thalon clicked his gaping mouth shut with a click and swollowed convulsively to get salvia down his dry throat. “You. You’re an elfling.” was all he could stutter out.

oooOOOooo

“I’m a what?” Harry furrowed his eyebrows together and tried to process what he was just told. _Elfling? Like, a baby elf? Santa’s helper? Great. Another title to add to my collection._ He thought sarcastically. _Boy-Who-Lived-Who-Vanquished-The-Dark-Lord-Who-Then-Died-But-Lived-And-Became-A-Old-Man-Who-Then-Finally-Died-But-Was-Reincarnated-As-An-Elf. You know what? I don’t really care. Not anymore, not now, not ever_.

Sighing heavily, Harry stood up and looked at the Elf, who was now staring at him like so many others had stared at him during his long life time - with a little bit of awe and reverence. Harry shifted uncomfortably, wondering why he was being stared at in this way when there was no possible way he could have been recognized. He plastered a polite smile on his face. “Well. Yes. I am an Elfling. Sorry for getting you all wet and all. And thank you for getting me out of the water.” He gestured towards the stream. “I dropped something in there and was trying to get it out.” He smiled sweetly, playing the I’m-A-Cute-But-Stupid-Little-Elfling-Playing-In-The-Water-And-Almost-Drowning card. He cursed inwardly. Lying on cue wasn’t his strongest point and, clearly, the Elf didn’t seem to buy it.

“Well, thanks again but I need to get to my mommy and daddy now.” He smiled sweetly and turned to walk away when his hand was grabbed. Grabbing a retired Auror is always a bad idea. Grabbing a highly trained former Auror with years of instincts and battle experience when there is heightened tension in the air is beyond a bad idea and just plain stupid. He sidestepped, wrenching the offending hand away at the wrist and twisted. A simple technique but effective in getting released and can cause mild discomfort ranging from slight pain to excruciating pain of a broken wrist.

Thalon winced as he fell to one knee and gasped at the pain in his wrenched wrist still in the grip of the elfling. Without thinking, he instinctively turned and lashed out with his legs, sweeping the elfling off his feet. With inhuman speed he twisted the elfling around and held him down in a painful hug. He looked down and held eye contact with the elfling for a moment. Surprise, pain, and fear were in those large green eyes. Thalon blanched at his own actions, regretting them instantly. How could be have used force against a small elfling?

Before he could release him, the elfling bit down hard on the hand around his shoulder. Yelling in pain, Thalon let go. The elfling turned and sprinted away, leaping over the stream and into the woods. Thalon sped after him in panic.

Harry cursed over and over again as he scrambled over fallen trees and large roots as fast as he could.

_Death can go and stick his bloody scythe up his bloody ar-_

Harry tucked and rolled as he tripped over a rock the size of his fist. Pain shot up his leg as he tried to get up and continue running. He gritted his teeth to steel himself from the pain of putting pressure on his right ankle and hobbled on, looking for something, anything to defend himself with. Reaching down, he grabbed a large rock that could knock a man out, or in this case, an Elf if used correctly and with enough force. He spun on his good leg and hopped behind a nearby tree. It was thick enough for him to completely hide behind and he steadied his breath, holding it to make as little noise as possible.

Thalon lost sight of the elfling as he ran into the underbrush but could easily follow the trail left behind by him. He cursed himself for acting so aggressively towards him. How would the elfling trust him now? He had even lied to him about his parents waiting for him. Were his parents even alive? Not to mention that practiced move. Who had taught him that? _How_ did he even know it in the first place. Had he been hurt by others in the past? His heart squeezed painfully at some of the implications it could hold.

Thalon slowed and stopped as he realized that the trail ended abruptly in front of him. No, it only ended because the child was hiding behind the tree. Holding his hands up to signify peace he called out gently, “Little one, I’m sorry. I should not have tried to hold you back.” He waited a few heart beats and called out again. “Please, come out. I swear upon the Valar that I would rather die than to cause you harm.”

Harry leaned against the tree and gripped his stone, weighing his options. He couldn’t run anymore with his ankle and he wasn’t sure he could take the Elf down with his small childlike body. That elf had training and was definitely faster than him. He cursed inwardly. What he would give for his wand. A little stunner here, a petrification spell there and then a binding spell. Quick and easy. Unfortunately, he had laid his wand on his nightstand as he said goodbye to his family...so no wand, no magic and goodness knows he tried to do something but was unable.

_Magic must not work in this place. And who in the world were the Valar? The Elf deity’s?_

Harry carefully peeked around the tree, rock in his hand ready for anything. The elf was sitting cross-legged, hands resting on his knees. Harmless looking but Harry knew from experience that looks can be deceiving. He had trusted the wrong person years ago when he was an Auror and it had led to two of his men dying that day. That same day, he put in his resignation to the Auror office and applied for the DADA position at Hogwarts. Ginny was ecstatic he was in a safer job and it turned out to be one of the best decisions he had ever made.

“Legilimens.” Harry whispered under his breath as he made eye contact with the Elf. Nothing. No magical surge. No tingling feeling of magic at work. Absolutely nothing. Harry sagged tiredly against the tree, the bark digging into the small of his back and tried to ignore the growing pain in his throbbing ankle.

What should he do now? He couldn’t out run the Elf, definitely couldn’t fight him and he didn’t know if he could trust him. “How can I know I can trust you?” Harry yelled out as he kept an eye on the Elf. He wasn’t taking his eyes off of him. The Elf could be on him before he even realized it.

“I....I just swore upon the Valar that I wouldn’t harm you.” Thalon replied in disbelief and confusion. _How can I make him believe me when he doesn’t even take my vow seriously?_ “I do not know what I can say to have you believe me..but know that I will not let any harm come to you.”

“Then let me go.” Harry hissed in anger. He was tired, hungry and in pain. Not to mention he was getting colder by the minute from the wet clothes he was wearing. It had been a while since he was all these things at once. Old age had made him soft. The worst thing that had happened in recent events was that his daily breakfast was different. Instead of oatmeal with prunes mixed in, his great great granddaughter had substituted it with raisins. It didn’t quite do the job and it left him grumpy the entire morning. Change was hard when you’re old and used to things being the same.   
  
“Just let me walk away.” Harry said softly, his anger seeping away, as he slid down onto his bottom and put his face in the crook of his elbow. He was just so tired and wanted everything to stop. The day could not get any worse.

Thalon was at a loss as what to do next. He couldn’t possibly let a young elfling walk away when he obviously needed help. The elfling was in distress, lying about his parents and running from his own kind. His heart constricted. Most likely the elflings parents were long dead, perhaps killed in the fight against the evils of Sauron. From where had he come from? And how was his birth kept secret? Thalon’s mind swirled and churned with questions. He was so distraught that he almost missed his name being whispered. Turning slightly, he caught sight of elves appearing from behind several large trees. Thalon reacted quickly, holding his hand out to try to wave them back but it was too late. The Elfling had caught sight of them.

Harry widened his eyes in surprise and trembled from cold and fear from his sitting position as his eyes flicked from one elf to another. _Great. More elves. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse._ Harry thought darkly, _Maybe I’ll die of hypothermia before they catch me._

While Harry was trying to strategize his next move, Thalon was having a hurried and whispered conversation with identical twin elves. Filling them in on what was happening Thalon learned that he wasn’t the only one that the trees had communicated with. The elves in Rivendell had been shocked into action just like Thalon had been. They had quickly jumped into action and had come, led by the twins, ready for anything. Each elf present was bristling with weaponry, ready to fight off a horde of Orcs that they had supposed were invading. What they found was nothing short of astounding and in all their preparation, weren’t expecting to find a young elfling hiding from them behind a tree.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I am a lazy writer and I don’t like finding elf names ( cause I like researching what the names mean… ) So if anyone would like to drop a elf name I can use I would be very much greatfull!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry is so tired and can’t even. The Twins learn new curse words and Elrond keeps House.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone reading this is British.. let me know if I’m portraying Harry’s speech correctly. My knowledge of British words is severely limited. Wallace and Gromit, Harry Potter films and Sherlock have been some of the few British things I’ve experienced. 
> 
> Any helpful British-isms would be much appreciated.

In any situation, Harry was never alone. When he was an Auror he always had a plan and the knowledge that his men would be behind him, offering support and back up. Later in his life as a Professor of DADA at Hogwarts, he had the friendship of his fellow professors, the support of his wife and the respect of the Wizarding community. Later in his retired life, he was surrounded by his many great grandchildren, old friends and colleagues.

Now Harry was utterly and miserably alone.

He was small, weakened by pain, and so very very tired.

 _Death,_ he thought bitterly, _now would be a good time to show up._

But just like all the other times, Death didn’t appear. Harry turned his thoughts to _why_ they would chase him in the first place. Was this Elf chasing him trying to help him? Or were Elflings sought after in this worlds equivalent of a Black Market? Or perhaps he was sought after as a delicacy for rich well to do people? Or maybe the Elf Model was just the run of the mill pervert...

Harry rubbed his eyes to stave off a building headache. Or maybe he’ll just get caught and the Elf authorities would put him into an Elf orphanage. Then he’ll be put into the Elf system and then be adopted by a nice Elf couple. He’ll go to Elf school and then to Elf Uni, where he would study Elf studies and then graduate with Elf honors.

Or he could just try to die again. Regardless, Harry needed to come up with a plan and fast. The growing number of Elves was starting to become more of a giant flash mob than a small group of Elves. The Elf must have called for back up. _Why_ so many would come was puzzling and frightening.

_A whole bunch of Elves for little old me? I’m flattered._

Harry, his blood spiked with adrenalin and his body weary and in pain, giggled from the ridiculousness of it all. Here he was, hiding behind a tree in a twisted game of Hide and Seek from lithe male models with pointy ears that called themselves Elves. It was in this lapse of attention that allowed Elladan to make his way to the tree undetected. Harry’s giggle turned into a gasp as he tried to lunge and dodge Elladan’s arms but was no match for the older and more experienced Elf. Elladan held Harry against his chest careful, after hearing from Thalon, not to have his hands anywhere near the small Elflings face. Elladan couldn’t help but remember a time not too long ago when he had done the exact same move on a young human..except this time, instead of childlike laughter and innocence, it was an Elfling that was trying it’s best to kick and thrash against him, biting his leather bracers on his forearms.

“Let. Me. Go!” Harry punctuated each word with a scream of anger as he resorted to headbutting the Elf with the back of his head. The Elf only lowered Harry so that he was only hitting his head on his chest. Harry then quickly changed tactics and swung the heel of his unhurt foot down onto a very sensitive part of the male anatomy. The Elves watching, both male and female, all winced in anticipation for the blow but Elladan was no greenhorn to his move. He had experienced it before with Estel. He suddenly dropped to a crouched position, still holding the Elfling, and let the ground get the intended impact. Harry had been already flailing with both legs so when his uninjured foot struck the ground his injured foot also lashed out and hit the only large rock within the surrounding area with a resounding crack. The bone had been fractured earlier, weakening it and so bringing it down onto the rock completely shattered it.

Harry bit back a scream but couldn’t help a mangled cry come out of his clenched teeth. The pain shot up his leg and caused his whole body to arch _away_ from the pain that exploded. The sudden pain of it overrode all his other senses so that he didn’t realized he was laying on the ground in fetal position, clutching at his ankle until he heard the Elf crooning - _crooning? Is he seriously singing right now?-_ over him.

As soon as Harry had cried out in pain, the Elves leap forward with their hearts in their throats as Elladan quickly laid Harry down to inspect him for the injury. The little Elflings ankle was shattered. Not only was it swollen, but it was also an angry shade of red and visibly deformed. To add upon the injury, the poor Elfling was bearfooted and bore scratches and punctures from the rocks and branches he had ran on to get away. Elladan differed from his brother in that he was not one to be overly emotional and was often seen as cold and brooding yet the Elves around him would have been surprised to see his eyes cloud over in a dark flurry of emotions as he inspected the Elfling if they had not, themselves, been staring at the Elfling.

Elrohir, his normal jovial temperament pushed aside in worry, rushed to his brothers side and knelt along side him, his sharp eyes picking up the many cuts, bruises and hurts that the Elfling carried. “We must get him proper care, brother.” Elrohir voice was soft and tinged with concern. All he got was a stoic nod from his brother but he knew that Elladan was concerned like he was. Without saying a word, Elrohir waved a nearby Elf over and dug into his satchel for some bandages. Deftly taking it, Elrohir wound it around the Elflings ankle as Elladan braced it with two branches that he had snapped in two with his strength. Efficiently stabilizing it for the moment, Elladan once more lifted the Elfling up with infinite more tenderness than he had done earlier and with a nod to the great company of Elves they ran swiftly towards their home.

oooOOOooo

During the run to Rivendell, Harry arched, kicked, flailed, bit and even managed to give a handful of the Elf’s dark hair a good yank before he was carefully wrapped in a blanket that was brought by one of the Elves in the group. Harry was effectively bundled up like a burrito but they couldn’t do anything to stop him from yelling obscenities and screaming out to be released. He only started taper off when his voice started cracking from the constant abuse he was putting his vocal cords through.

“Put me down!” Harry spat out, his voice cracking at the end and glared at the Elf holding him. “Pointy eared goblin!” Elladan looked sharply down at the small Elfling that dared to call him such a thing. How could he be compared to such filthy and disgusting creatures? But more importantly, _who_ was this Elfling to have caused the trees to react in such a way? Where had he come from?  
“Do not fear is, little one. We are bringing you to safety.” Elladan, not known for his bedside manner, tried to sooth the Elfling with his soft words.

“I. Don’t. Care.” Harry growled out in rage, forcing the words out from between his clenched teeth like venom as he bared them and tried to headbutt the Elf. Then, to the horror of the Elves, Harry proceeded to unleash every curse word, every profane word, foul expletive he had ever learned in his very long life.

oooOOOooo

Elrond, in all his 6000 years of life spanning all four ages, had never seen the forest act in the way that it had. He had been in his study managing his work as Lord of Imladris when a wave of panic and horror swept over him. A sudden cold sweat made his clothes stick to his body as he fumbled with the inkwell almost spilling the entire bottle of it on his desk. Gasping in shock he clutched the sides of the desk to steady himself and quickly stood up to look outside. The trees were _screaming_ in terror. He turned suddenly as the door swung open and Lindir rushed in, his eyes wide in panic. “Lord Elrond, the forest!” He squeaked as he clenched his hands, the same chilling sweat clinging to him. Glorfindel followed soon after already armed with his sword, Laurë, at his hip and waited for his orders.

“Gather all of the warriors. Have them armed and ready as there may be evil awaiting them.” Elrond said grimly, his hands unconsciously gripping the air for a phantom sword at his hip.

Glorfindel nodded once, his blonde hair brushing his Elven armor, and quickly made his way out of the room. Elrond started to make his way towards his armor and sword but was stopped by Lindir.

“My Lord, if I may.” Lindir hesitantly started. “Perhaps it would be best if you were to stay and help prepare the healers for any wounded Elves.”

Lindir was becoming more mother hen-ish with each passing decade. Elrond arched one eyebrow in irritation but quickly saw the wisdom in his words. He, as Lord of Imladris, must care for his affairs at his home rather than fight an unknown enemy and possibly fall in battle. Not that any mortal could possibly stand against him. But he was a great healer of his people and his talents could be used as such. He inclined his head and walked out of the room and headed to the House of Healing, his mind already whirling with the various preparations needing to be done in order to accommodate any incoming wounded.

As he knelt and carefully laid out the herbs and bandages, he sent out a silent prayer to Eru for his sons and for his people to come back safely. He could not bear to lose a child.

oooOOOooo

“They are back!”

Elrond quickly made his way to the door and saw that the great number of Elven warriors were, indeed, coming home. They are back much too quickly, he thought as he scanned the group for any injuries and searched for his sons when he noticed the shock on all of the warriors faces. The tension in the air was tight as a string in a bow. He stared in concern as Elladan sprang up the steps to him, grief and worry written plain on his the face, as he held a small bundle in his arms.

“Father...” Elladan said tightly as he reached the top. Elronds heart thudded painfully in his chest as he caught sight of what was in the bundle. With a strained look, Elohir finished, “It was an Elfling.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Scribbles fake mustache on with pen*
> 
> Not. Dead. 
> 
> Sweet Mother of Abraham Lincoln. Almost 3000 words! Yay! *starts pouring champagne*
> 
> Not beta’d cuz I’m a lazy bee.

When Harry caught sight of the buildings above he redoubled his effort to get loose. Every training excerise he had ever done during his Auror years had nothing to do with actually _being_ the abductee. He tried twisting his arm out of the blanket but the Elf holding him was just too strong and too knowledgeable of how to keep one incapacitated. 

_He’s done this before,_ Harry thought in fear as he finally sagged with exhaustion from struggling the whole way there. He needed to be able to rest so that when he was finally free from the accursed blanket he could finally get away. _If_ he could get away.  

Noticing that they had slowed down and was able to look around, he craned his neck to see if he could use anything to his advantage. Whipping his head around to see where the Elf was taking him, he noticed a Elf standing at the top of the stairs. Swallowing painfully, his throat raw from all the screaming and shouting, he stealed himself to meet the eye of the waiting Elf. One glance and he knew; this was the big boss, the wizard behind the curtain, the Elf in charge. 

He also looked remarkably like the face of the Elf that was holding him. _Must be related._ Harry thought with a slight pang in his heart as he thought of his own family but now was not the time nor place to think of it. Glaring at the Elf on the stairs, he noticed the reaction of the big boss Elf when he heard the words of the Elf carrying him. Harry couldn’t help but wonder why every Elf seemed shocked when they first noticed that he was an Elfling. 

Harry glared at the Elf in charge and quickly took note of everything. The Elf like all the other Elves he’d seen was definitely model material - Immaculate eyebrows, chiseled jaw and flawless hair arrangement. From the metallic circlet on his forehead to the ends of his fancy robe that trailed onto the floor, this Elf exuded authority. 

Pushing the pain in his ankle down, Harry grit his teeth and growled out, his throat breaking towards the end, “Put me down.” Ignoring the shocked eyebrow raise that was identical to the Elf holding him he continued with as much menace as he could conjure, “Now.”

The fact that he was a little child didn’t help with the menacing voice. The burrito look didn’t help either. 

Harry had seen his fair share of anger, disgust, hatred and spite directed at him. He grew up seeing the disgust in his Aunt and Uncles faces, all the years of loathing in Snapes eyes, the various looks of fear by his class mates and the burning red eyes of hatred by Voldemort. As an Auror he was subject to hostile death threats by former Deatheaters as they tried to kill him. He also raised 3 kids through their teenage years. Harry Potter was no stranger to glares directed his way.

Harry glowered at the Elf, expecting to see anger, and was, instead, taken aback by what he saw in the Elf's face.

 Kindness. 

Like the kindness that was in Dumbledore’s eyes, in Hagrid's, Ron’s, Hermione’s, Molly Weasley’s, and countless others he had met. After being raised in such a hostile environment for years, he had become a quick study of people’s faces and the face that was gazing at him was filled with kindness with a touch of _sadness_?  

The Elf gravely nodded and said, “Put him down, Elladan.” 

“Father,” Elladan responded softly. “His ankle is broken. I do not believe it would be wise to put him down.” 

Making a sympathetic noise, Elrond waved his hands in the air to pull back his long sleeves and pushed back the blanket at Harry’s feet. His perfectly arched eyebrows came together as he gently inspected the aforementioned ankle with the practiced hands of a healer.  

“Poor child.” He whispered softly. “We must get the swelling down.” 

“Come.” Directing then to follow, Elrond spoke with authority as he called out to have the Elves bring the needed salves, drinks and medicines to a more private room in the House of Healing. 

As they quickly made their way to the room, Harry looked around and committed to memory the route they took. As soon as they entered, Harry automatically scanned the room to take note of the various exits possible. The door that just came through, a double door opening outwards onto a balcony - _High enough to jump off?_ \- two large window with wooden shutters, and a fireplace chimney. 

Harry craned his neck as he was laid on a comfortable bed to see what else he could see in the room. He was in a spacious room with a table, various cabinets and a small night stand that had a pitcher. 

Gritting his teeth as he was laid onto the spacious bed, he flicked his eyes from one Elf to another waiting for some form of danger to present itself. Instead, the Elf in charge came by the bed and smiled down on him. 

“My name is Elrond and I am Lord of Rivendell. What is your name, little one?”  

Harry just stared blankly back at him.  

“You must be parched. Would you like some water?”  

Another blank stare.

“Well, little one, I think it would be much more comfortable without this blanket around you.” Elrond said suuoftly as he carefully loosened the blanket. 

Elrond studied the Elflings face as he worked loose the blanket so that it wouldn’t jostle his ankle. What he saw greatly disturbed him. A normal Elfling, with this type of injury, would have been crying out in pain and fear, reaching out for comfort from another Elf.

But not this one.  

This Elfling stared at him in distrust and fear without a grimace, ignoring the pain like a seasoned warrior. Elrond’s sharp eyes didn’t miss the way he had looked around the room, calculating various exits and routes of escape. Compassion and pity welled up in Elrond as he gazed into the Elflings mistrustful eyes.  

_No child should ever have this form of knowledge_.  

He pushed down  the urge to weep for the lost innocence in the Elfling and, willing himself calm, carefully pulled the blanket off and away from the Elfling.  

“May I?” Elrond gestured at the Harry’s ankle. 

Harry gave a small nod as he kept a sharp eye on the Elf. 

A normal visit to St Mundos would have been a potion to numb it, a spell to heal the bone, another to heal the stretched tendons and a good nights rest to finish the process. _This place_ , as Harry was now very aware, was no St Mundos and he had no idea what to expect. Magical Fairy dust? Advanced Alien technology? Dirt, some rigorous rubbing in of it and then some frantic, frenzied dancing accompanied by drums? 

After the Elf inspected the ankle carefully, he turned to Harry and said gently, “The setting of the bone will be painful and it would be best if you would drink this. It will numb the pain.” 

The Elf was handed a small bowl with a spoon by one of the Elf twins and brought it to Harry’s face. He carefully poured out what was in the bowl, which wasn’t much, into the spoon and brought it to Harry’s mouth. 

Harry, eyed the green sludgy mixture, shook his head and made a _na-uh_ sound without opening his mouth. He knew that if he opened his mouth to speak, the spoon would be popped into his mouth. It was the age old way of getting food into stubborn children’s mouths. A masterful technique he had used many a time with his children and grandchildren. And thus, one he would not fall for.  

Yes, he was in pain but the idea of ingesting some kind of medicine that could affect him was out of the question. He needed to be alert and awake, ready to react to what was going on.  

Elrond frowned, his beautiful features clouded over, as he came closer to Harry.  

“I must insist, little one. It will make the hurt stop.”  

_Na-uh_.  

The Elf went for a different tactic he had employed in his past a very, very long time ago. He inwardly grimaced as his calming smile turn a bit strained.  

“Mmmhhmm,” He wiggled his impressively, well formed eyebrows and raised up the spoon to smell it. “This isn’t disgusting like many other medicines. This one is very sweet and tasty. MmmmmMm. Try some?

Harry just raised one eyebrow and glared, conveying his disbelief and distrust. 

Feeling ridiculous, Elrond went for a more stern approach. 

“If you will not open your mouth, I will have no choice but to make you open your mouth.” 

Harry clenched his jaw tighter and restrained himself from crossing his arms like a child. He had been in pain before and he would be able to handle it. The Cruciatus curse had nothing oun this. What was a little pain wyhen he had endured the worst pain the day that Ginny had died? 

Closing his eyes and sighing deeply from the defeat, the Elf looked to his side at one of the twin Elves. Nodding at him, he turned back to Harry. Regret and pity showed clear on his face as he said, “I am truly sorry, little one, but you must take it.”  

One of the twin Elves came closer and before Harry could react, a hand came around his jaw and _pushed_ down on his inner jaw abover his neck forcing his clenched jaw to open. Harry grabbed the Elf’s arm but his other arm was retrained by the other twin Elf. The spoon was shoved into his mouth and Harry panicked. He kicked wildly with his good leg and gouged and pinched at the arm with his nails. He tried to spit out what was in his mouth but Elrond was already doing something to his neck that made him swallow convulsively. 

The arms holding his loosened as he coughed and regained his breath.  

_What did they just make me drink? I need to get this out._

Harry didn’t waste any time and tried to shove his finger down his throat to vomit but was thwarted by one of the twins tightening their hold and movedhis arm away from his mouth. 

A numbing sensation started from his stomach and spread outward, making him feel dizzy and tired. 

“No no no no.” Harry slurred slowly as his head sagged onto the bed. “Wha’ dija gimme?” 

The last coherent thought was that Elrond had lied. The medicines didn't taste good at all. 

 

oooOOOooo

 

Elrond, sighed quietly as he placed the last bandage on the unconscious Elfling. He let his gaze linger on the little ones face as he considered all the ramifications that he saw. 

The Elflings health was well. Other than the scrapes and bruises formed recently, he was obviously well taken care of. The clothing he had been wearing was of good quality but not one that he recognized. He could only summarize that it was made by men.  

The Elflings hands were soft and childlike. He had sighed in relief as he felt them. No hard labor was forced upon him and they were as any other Elflings hands should be.

Hebwas also relieved to find that there was no mark, scar, or blemish found on the child. He had suffered no ill will in that way.  

What worried him was the hostility, distrust and sharp cunning he saw in the Elflings actions and demeanor..for not all marks and scars were visible. Sometimes they would be of the mind and the heart. His own heart ached to think of the implications of the Elflings behavior. Somehow, somewhere, this little Elfling was taught to distrust others and to fear them. 

He stood up and made his way to the door. Closing it softly, he made his way to his study where he knew he would get more information from the twins and Thalon on how they had happened upon the Elfling. 

 

oooOOOooo

Harry woke up slowly and savored the way he was so comfortable. Marygold’s brew must have been a potent one. His rheumatism felt like it was barely there and he loathed to heave himself out of his comfortable bed. 

Sighing in happiness, he lay still, content to enjoy the moment before Primrose made her way to him, giggling in her mission to wake ‘Dran-pa’ for breakfast. 

Speaking of grandchildren....

There was no noise other than bird song in the room. A house full of grandchildren and their children usually meant some sort of hustle and bustle that came with it. Yelling, laughing, talking, clomping of dozens of feet and the hum of lively playing. There was nothing. 

Harry jerked, sat up suddenly and looked around him as he remembered where he was and what had all happened. Staring at his hands, he noticed all his scrapes and cuts had been tended to. He pulled back the covers and inspected his bandaged ankle.  

_He drugged me to fix my ankle._

Anger surged forward as he remembered the way in which he had been forced to drink the sludge and he reflexively clenched his jaw shut.

Whatever potion he was forced to drink was still giving him a numbing sensation but he was somehow clearheaded. The broken ankle throbbed half heartedly and twinged but didn’t protest when he dangled his feet over the bed. Looking around, he noticed he was alone in the room but that didn’t mean he’d be for much longer.  

_Death_. Harry thought tiredly. _You’d better have a bloody good reason for all this._  

Harry looked around and thought about the height from the window and whether it would be enough. _Well_..Harry supposed, _that’s IF I want to drag myself all the way there and then lift myself over the balcony._ He eyed his bandaged foot doubtfully. 

As Harry looked around the room, keeping the window as an alternative, his eyes found a small fragile looking pitcher on the night stand next to his bed. 

_It’s closer.._ He thought grimly. _In desperate times.._

He scooted himself closer to the nightstand and thought in resignation,  _This is going to hurt._

Grabbing the pitcher he carefully poured the contents out onto the floor and wrapped his blanket around it. He held his breath as he hit the side of the table with the wrapped up pitcher, causing it to shatter with a muffled tingle of shards. Opening it, he found a long shard of the broken pitcher and stared at it for a second.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and positioned the sharp pointed end on his jugular on his neck. 

One quick stab and in just a few seconds there would be Ginny. And mum. And dad. 

Harry jerked in surprise as a hand grabbed his wrist, pulling the shard away from his throat but not before he had started jabbing it in. Some blood welled up and ran down his neck but it wasn’t enough to do the job. 

Harry tightened his grip on the shard and tried to bring it to his neck again but failed. Elrond had grabbed both wrists and one of the twin Elves pried it out of his hands. He was no match for the grown Elves around him. 

“No!” Harry screamed and tried to buck them off. “I need to do this! You don’t understand! You don’t understand! Let me go! Give it back!”  

Elrond and his sons looked at one another as they held down a writhing Elfling, horrified at what they were hearing. 

“Get off me! Get off me!” Harry raged on as they pinned him down to the bed. “They’re waiting for me!” 

As Harry writhed and struggled on the bed, continuing to yell, as the stricken Elves tried to calm him down. “Peace, little one! We are not trying to harm you.” Said Elrond soothingly, trying offer comfort. 

“Let me go! I need to go to them.” Harry screeched as he tried to tug his arms away from the vice like grips of the Elves.  

“Go to who little one?” 

“TO GINNY!” Harry all but screamed in Elronds face. “TO MY FAMILY!” 

All the fight left Harry suddenly and he sagged into the bed once more. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling. He breathed out raggedly and whispered, “To my mum and dad.” 

His words were barely discernible but every Elf in the room heard it. For an Elf to lose a loved one was devastating. At times, even fatal. For a young Elfling to lose both of its parents was beyond devastating. It was a deep anguish that could not even be expressed. All Elves, being immortal, felt death deeply, all the way to their souls to the point that some would choose to sail to the Undying Lands to spend the rest of their days there lest they fade away from grief and sorrow. 

It was a dreadful thing for one so young to lose both parents. 

 “Oh, little one.” Elrond breathed out as grief swept over him. He let go of Harry’s wrist and sat down on the bed next to him, leaned over and tenderly brushed errant hairs out of Harrys face. “I am so sorry.”

Harry only grit his teeth and regulated his breathing. He couldn’t let panic overtake him. Panic made mistakes and next time, he wouldn’t mess up. He would finish what he was trying to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure how old Harry was before he died. Anyone want to offer a number? I’m a lazy writer and I’m ok with Harry being a generic really old man with multiple great great grandkids without an actual age. Those birthday candles would have been a fire hazard..


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of crying, a lot of negative emotions and a interesting revelation by Glorfindel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah..I FINALLY updated after 5 months. I write when I have time..and when you feel ill and have to lay down..you suddenly have time.

 

The initial joy and curiosity of finding a Elfling was quickly turned to shock as every Elf heard of what had happened. For an Elf to willingly take his own life was not unheard of. There was one long ago that had taken his own life out of grief but it had been the only one they had known of. And now, an Elfling child had attempted to end its own life. 

The Elves of Rivendell were devastated with what they had heard. There were few dry eyes as they gazed sorrowfully towards the House of Healing. Some had openly wept as they held one another in grief. Soon after, soothing voices were heard singing beautiful melodies throughout the halls in hopes of healing the Elflings heart, various beautiful flowers and healing herbs with gentle scents were picked to be put in the room with the Elfling, and the Elven cooks started carefully crafting nutritious and enticing meals to be brought before the child. Some Elves had even started crafting small toys for the child to play with. 

To put it plainly, the inhabitants of Rivendell did everything they could think of to help the Elfling that had come to them hurt and afraid. 

—————

Harry lay still on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to listen in on the whispering Elves around him. They had moved him to a different room, ground floor, without a veranda and only one window opening up to a small garden. The new room had no fireplace, thus, no sharp poker in which to inflict any damage. 

The Elves talked rapidly and quietly so that even his new sharp hearing couldn’t catch what they were saying. The twins left after a moment but not before gathering up all the various breakable pottery in the new room. One of the twin Elves kept glancing over at him in sorrow and pity, which Harry stoically ignored. Then Harry was left alone with Lord Elrond. 

The short drug induced nap hadn’t really taken the weariness away and recent events had left him not only physically exhausted but also mentally exhausted. Despite still being tired, Harry cracked open his eyes and glanced over through his eyelashes at the Elf. Harry furrowed his eyebrows as he felt unsettled by the Elf’s expression, the guilt slowly filling him as he studied the distraught Elf. 

Elrond had his head bowed and his eyes closed as he sat next to Harry on the bed. It was only when he opened his eyes, sensing he was watched, that Harry saw the tears and sorrow in his grey eyes. 

Rather than break eye contact, Harry tried to ignore the feeling of guilt and shame and stared into Elronds grey eyes, silently daring him to say something. 

Elrond stared back sadly for a long moment and finally broke the silence. 

“What is your name, little one?” He asked softly to not startle the child, resisting the urge to stroke the small head. 

Harry deliberated for a moment of whether to answer him but decided against it. 

_Why should I tell him my name?_ He thought tiredly as he shook his head, _I won’t be here very long anyway._

Breathing in deeply, Harry exhaled slowly through his nose while he controlled his features to be expressionless. He needed to be calm and collected, not panicking and crying like the child he looked like. 

Elrond tried again, “Where are you from?”  

He was only met with silence and slow steady breathing. Elrond, again, had to restrain himself from gathering the small child into his arms and holding him. He could almost physically see the walls that the Elfling built around himself with silence and anger. His heart broke once more as he studied the Elflings demeanor towards him.  

Distrust, fear, anger, and a complete disregard for his own life. Who had raised him to be so fearful of his own kind? What was his upbringing? While it was not uncommon for men to be suspicious of Elvenkind and their magic, it was unheard of for Elves to fear one another. Dark and heartbreaking thoughts swirled in Elronds mind as he studied the Elfling in front of him. 

The silence was broken by a light knock on the closed door. “Enter” Elrond called out as he turned to look at the door.

The door swung open silently as several Elves carrying various things gilded into the room. The first few Elves carried several bouquets of flowers arranged simply in carved wooden bowls that magnified the beauty of them and set them in several places where the wind blew and could carry the gentle scents that they emitted. The next couple of Elves carried in a platter with various small bowls and plates artistically filled with nourishing soups, fresh bread, and delicious cooled fruit, cut into small bite size pieces. The Elves that brought the flowers left but then more Elves came in carrying some small items of clothing and some soft, cuddly toys shaped to resemble various animals. 

The near empty room was soon bursting with delicious, enticing smells and soft, soothing colors. 

Harry was suddenly aware of how hungry he was and grew steadily irritated as he tried to ignore the delicious smells wafting around the room. If anything, Harry was stubborn and while it had been well over two centuries since he lived at the Dursleys he still remembered the gnawing hunger he felt for days on end. Stiffening his resolve, Harry went back to staring at Elrond. 

Elrond turned to the nightstand and pulled a small covered bowl closer. He opened it, inspected the contents and found that it was a nutritious soup with herbs that would be perfect for the Elfling. He picked up a spoon and offered it to him.

Harry glanced at the offered spoonful and glared back at Elrond. “Are you going to force me to eat it?” 

Elrond shifted uncomfortably as he lowered the spoon.  He was silent for a few moments until he looked directly into Harry’s eyes and said quietly, “Forgive me. While I felt that it needed to be done, I should have not have it done by force...and for that, I aplogize.” 

Harry cover his surprise of being so quickly  apologized to by grunting a response and schooling his face. Deep down, he was annoyed and angry that the Elf was clearly apologetic about the whole thing. It would be easier to be mad at him if he didn’t regret it.  

“You must eat, little one. It will help with the healing.”  

Harry clamped his mouth shut anyway and lay still.  

Elrond sighed and rose, defeated, and glided over to the door. He smiled tiredly and said, “If you need anything, call out and it will be given to you.” He opened his mouth to say something more but decided against it and walking out, he gently closed the door. 

Harry strained his hearing as he heard whispering behind the closed door.  

_A guard at the door. Making sure I don’t do anything else.._  

Harry quickly grabbed at the platters of food, after putting whatever was inside them into something else, to see if he could manage to break them into shards again but each and every platter, bowl and cup was carved from some sort of solid wood and barely even made a dent for all his work. Even the spoon was gone, taken by Elrond when he left. 

_Bloody Elf._

_Bloody, Elvish bastard._

Even the toys were useless, too soft and cuddly. Harry tried to ignore the part of his brain that was reminding him how much his many great grandchildren would have loved these various toys. Especially this soft horse..Primrose would have love it.  

Breathing angrily through his nose, he slumped back onto the head rest of the bed and growled under his breath.  

The beautiful Elvish singing that floated on the breeze through the open window was soothing and restful but it only grated on Harry’s tight nerves.. so he did what he had felt like doing when the food had originally arrived. 

With precision and grace he threw them, one by one, out the window. 

————

Meanwhile, gathered in Elronds study, the twins, Elrohir and Elladan, Lindir, Erestor, Thalon, the one who first found the Elfling,  and Glorfindel waited for Elrond to come back from tending to the little Elf that had been found on the edges of Imladris. 

Each one was silent in their own thoughts as they contemplated what the events of the past day meant. An Elfling! And so young! In their own home! 

Elrohir and Elladan looked at one another and silently communicated their fears, sadness and confusion with the discovery and arrival of such a small Elf.  

Meanwhile, Glorfindel was filled with horror at the implication of finding such a small Elfling bear the doorstep of their home. He paced agitation and trembled as he traced the spines of various books on Elronds shelf. 

Erestor calmly sat near the window and observed everyone in the room. Lindir, being Lindir, was quickly scribbling the events down on some parchment at Elronds desk.

They all stilled and look up as Elrond walked in and closed the door. He made his way to a nearby chair and sat down, sighing heavily. Looking up at each one present, he recounted what had happened since the Elfling had come to them. Thalon also recounted the whole tale of finding the Elfling, how he had fought with him and how he ended up chasing him through the forest. 

Some murmured in pity and some gasped in sorrow over the Elflings demeanor but Glorfindel remained silent and tense, never taking his eyes off Elrond and Thalon as they spoke.  

Finally, they fell silent as Thalon ended his tale and excused himself from the room. Each remaining Elf contemplated the turn of events of the tale that had just been told to them. What did it mean that the Elfling could fight the grasp of a trained Elf warrior? What did it mean for the child to have such a vocabulary and act in such a way toward its own kind? What should have been a joyful time of discovery and celebration of a long lost child come home was filled with sorrow and grief for it. The Elves in the room all felt a unspeakable pain in their hearts as they could not keep their tears from flowing for the Elfling who had lost so much. 

Elrohir spoke up, his normal joyful tone replaced with a tearful sigh, “Who is he? And where could this Elfling have come from?” 

Glorfindel raised his tear filled eyes and spoke gravely, “I may have an answer to this.” He paused and gathered himself to continue, “It has been said and recorded that Saruman,” He spat out the name, “bred the Uruk-hai in the pits of Isengard. It is said that Saruman used men and orcs to create these abominations using his dark magic.” 

Glorfindel paused and closed his eyes in distress as he finally spoke the words he was dreading, “What if Saruman did not stop at men.” He opened his eyes and gazed up at the horror that started to fill the room. “What if, using his dark magic and the power of Sauron, he also attempted with Elves.” 

The shock that built up in the room exploded with various voices raised in horror, anger, denial and anguish. Glorfindel silently waited for each Elf to calm themselves untill he addressed Elrond. “The child knows how to fight, how to protect himself. He also seems to have never laid eyes on a Elf before. I also sensed something in the child..did you not feel that something was deeply wrong when you first laid eyes on the child? That something was amiss?”  

Elrond griped the arms of the chair as he spoke, his words heavy with sorrow as he gazed into the fireplace “I admit that I felt something in the child that I could not place. When he lay sleeping, I attempted to reach out to him, to heal him with song.” Elrond looked up at Glorfindel, his eyes dark with trepidation. “I could not reach him. His fëa was veiled from me.” Gasps were heard throughout the room. “My first inclination was to think that since the child had been through so much that it was hiding from me..in this new light, it may have been more than that.”

“Then,” Erestor queried, “how is it that he came to be at the edge of our home?” 

Elrohir spoke up, “Perhaps at the fall of Isengard he fled and went up the north road towards Dunland...”  

Elladan continued, “But his clothing was not of theirs. His was of linen..”  

Elrohir picked up right where Elladan left off, “So he must have traveled up on the road to a village of men..” 

“Which explains his use of language..”

“Where he was taken in by a family that took care of him.”

They both paused and sorrowfully remembered the Elflings tear filled words of a long dead family and a Gin-ei. They ended by summarizing that he must have been taken in, loved and cared for before their deaths.

“That still does not explain how came he to be at the edge of our forest.” Erestor persisted. 

“Perhaps he was informed of our kind and told to come to us..or some form of magic leading him to his own kind. For all we know Eru, himself, might have led him towards us.” Glorfindel wondered, a hint of curious hope in his voice. 

“As that may be true, then we must hope and pray that we can help heal this child given to us.” Elrond concludes gravely as they all swore in their hearts that they would do anything and everything in their power to help guide the little one to health and healing of the soul. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah.. Harry is being petulant and grumpy because he has suicidal tendencies and nothing to carry them out with..or does he??
> 
> And the Elves think they are clever and have such bleeding hearts but they’re just making things up as they go along..really nice guys tho..tender hearted and everything. And talk about non repressed male tears? It’s ok for men, ahem, strong male types to cry.


End file.
